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People seemed interested in my last legal drama, so let's see if they bite on this one.

Warning to Dakka Mods. This topic isn't political, but it is political adjacent. It's not a hot button issue, only local news, and no political parties involved.

This isn't quite my story, it's my elderly mother's. However I might inherit it. About 35 years ago my parents invested in a large, undeveloped piece of land right outside our city. And by that, I mean the eastern border of the land literally forms the city limits. Their neighbors happen to be a trailer park that is both in and outside the city limits. Not too long after they built a business structure there an up and coming telecommunications company leased the land.

Although the company has traded hands a few times over the decades the building itself now serves as a major fiber optic hub for the area, and since the company doesn't own the land, or any improvements made to the land or structure, the rent is pretty lucrative.

Well, once again the building has passed hands to a new company and they wanted a full land survey to show what they were actually leasing. Fair enough. My mother hired the county to do the survey. The crew got about 2/3 done before quickly packing up and quitting, with an explanation of, "we're not finishing this, not our problem, don't call us again."

After hiring a private crew to do it my mom found out why the city crew panicked. At some point about 6 years ago (as my dad was losing a battle with cancer) the neighboring trailer park decided to move a fence back into the property 35 feet and it's 150 feet long (about 1/8 of an acre). This area is obscured and not easily seen from the street. They installed 6 concrete pads for trailers with sewage hookups (remember the sewer, it comes up later).

After the following legal investigation it turns out the trailer park actually submitted plans and applied for a permit to do this. The county rubber stamped the approval, including the fence moving. These structures weren't built in slightly the wrong place, they are EXACTLY where it was intended.

Remember how I said the property line was the city border and the sewer hookups I mentioned? They are of a type banned, by state law, from being within city limits. So, if they thought it was in the city the hookups are illegal. If outside the city, they admit they built in someone else's land.

The County's official stance is: this is between two private parties, we're not getting involved. Trailer park's stance is: it's our property, we're not moving, we're not paying you anything.

To me it seems like something fishy happened 6 years ago when they knew attentions were elsewhere. Either the county official was grossly incompetent, or corrupt.

Not for a second to pretend I know anything about property law, Spesh in the US of A.

But surely if the county rubber stamped it? They’ve some level of liability.

As ever, this is a job for PROFESSIONAL LAWYER WITH THE RELEVANT EXPERIENCE IN THE RELEVANT FIELD MAN/WOMAN!

There may be laws which state if you occupy private land for long enough without challenge, ownership passes to you. And I’ve a gut feeling that may vary county to county, let alone state to state.

One thing I do know from Rslash is, if the property is eventually ruled to be your parents (see above as to why there’s at least some chance that may no longer be the case), if they cut down trees to install anything, they’re in for a world of financial pain. Because Tree Law is ridiculous.

And again, drawing on internet video stuff so a Dead Sea of Salt at the ready? Pretty sure they’re on the hook for not only moving the fence line back to their property, but all the costs involved in returning the stolen land to its original state.

Lawyers already involved. The land itself is nothing special, and doesn't interfere with the day to day of the business. In fact, they'd be happy to get rid of it as it's 1/8 acre they don't have mow/maintain.

Just taking over someone's property here takes 10 years, so it's still legally ours. Our lawyer suggested just deeding the property over to the Tailer Park, and yes that would be by far the easiest thing to do. We'd be happy to do that, but not just GIVE it to them for no money. We'd want something out of it. My mom was willing to go down to $10,000. Their return offer was a whopping ZERO. Demolishing the concrete, returning the land to prior condition, and reinstalling a fence would likely cost them $75,000.

I say persuade your parents to go Full Vegeance.

They've tried to play nice (so, just buy it off us now?) so burn them to the ground. Metaphorically only, of course.

Costs may get even higher for them. Not sure where your parents might stand on punitive damages. But if they've leased those new hardstanding areas to trailers? I'm sure that'll have some kind of contract to prevent them just hoofing the occupant off.

If (when!) they're ordered to return the land to its rightful owners and remove those areas of hardstanding? That's potentially more contracts breached.

Yeah, there are trailers on those slabs AND people living in them. Not a lawyer, but I do know that if you have a rental agreement or lease and your landlord can't fulfill the full term of the lease they are responsible for alternate lodging for the remainder of the lease AND moving costs. Finding another place to put a mobile home around here would be a nightmare.